Trapper&#39;s tongs.



J. H. LARRAMORB.

TRAPPERS TONGS.

APPLIOATION FILED s211119. 1911.

coLuMalA Punoamn co..wAsmNaToN D c JAMES H. LARRAMORE, OF SHELLTOWN, MARYLAND.

TRAPPERS TONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2i, 1914:.

Application filed September 19, 1911. Serial No. 850,377'.

To ZZ off/10m, it may concern Be it known that T, JAMES H. Ll-inrauionn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shelltown, in the county of Somerset and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trappers7 Tongs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom `ninying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a trappers tongs and has for its object to provide a device for handling traps such as muskrat traps and other fur bearing animal traps which are at times arranged under water and have to be set and removed from the water in such manner that the handling of the traps is attended with ease and comfort and the danger of setting and removing traps under water is entirely eliminated.

lVith this object in view the invention consists in the novel construction of the tongs and in the novel arrangement for operating the jaws thereof, all of which will be iii-st fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying' drawing Figure l is a top plan view of a trappers tongs constructed in accordance with this invention, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in section.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the two ligures in which;

l indicates the tongs which comprise the handle 2 lower 'aw 3 and uwer oivotcd a q jaiv il. As will appear from the drawing the lower jaw 8 is secured to the handle 2 by means of a socket formed on the jaw 3 into which the handle 2 is placed, the parts being secured together preferably by means of rivets G. It will be observed that the handle 2 terminates at its lower end in a longitudinally concaved portion in continuation of the corresponding or concaved surface or face of the fixed jaw 3 to cooperate with said jaw in accommodating the movement of the pivoted jaw as the latter is actuated. It will also be observed that, as abovel intimated, the pivoted jaw is hung in the tubular socket formation 5 of the fixed jaw 3 which thus forms a partial housing for said pivoted jaw and accordingly guards it against becoming inoperative as would otherwise likely result, especially in breaking the ice with the tongs and submergiug the same in the water there below.

The upper movable jaw el is pivoted to the lower jaw 3 at the point 7, and a spring S is applied at this point having one end bearing against the lower jaw 3 and the other end in engagement with the upper jaw 4t in such manner as to hold the jaws in a closed position as illustrated in full lines in ig. 2.

The pivoted upper jaw et has an opening therctlnough into which is received an upstanding plate-like stud la having an aperture 1lb which receives and forms a bearing for the pivot 7 of said upper jaw, the end portions of said pivot being received by the jaw, the spring S being coiled around said pivot within said aperture Llb of the jaw. By thus locating the pivot of the upper pivoted jaw and the spring delivering pressure upon said jaw these several parts, namely, the pivot, its supporting stud and the jaw-engaging spring, housed or guarded as against liability of contact with any obstruction and accord ingly their' impairment or displacement as would be very likely to be the case in thrusting the device through and in breaking the ice with the jaws as would be required in disposing the jaws below the icc as in nlacing the iaws thereunder.

Arranged on the handle 2 is the operating wire 9 which is connected at one end to the upper movable jaw l at the point 10 and having its other end connected to a thumb lever ll, said thumb lever l1 being pivoted at 12 in the handle 2 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A plurality of staples 125 are arranged on the handle 2 through which the operating wire 9 passes in such manner as to protect and guide said wire and prevent the same from buckling or bending.

Having thus described the several parts of this invention its operation is as follows: The handle of the tongs is of a suilicient length to enable a trap to be engaged within the jaws so as to conveniently place the trap into a lead or other convenient place for the trapping of animals in such inanner that tho trap can be placed in proper position without submerging the hand, the tongs being of such a character that the are all suitablyYV jaws can be used for breaking ice whenever the trap is carried under the ice and the trap can be quickly and conveniently removed by means of the tongs without danger to the hand of the operator and without immersing the same in the water.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the coacting surfaces of the jaws 3 and t are flat in cross section and curved in longitudinal section in order to more rigidly grip the trap and hold the same.

Having thus described the invention it is clearly apparent that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without depart-ing Jfrom the limit and scope of this invention, and I consider myself clearly entitled to all such modifications as fall within the appended claim.

That I claim as neuT and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

Tongs of the type described, including a handle, a fixed jaw secured to one end of said handle and having a concaved gripping or engaging surface or face, said concavity having outstanding lateral walls intermediate the ends of the jaw, said jaw having near its midlength an upstanding stud, a movable jaw having an inner convex surface conforming in outline to the concavity of the fixed jaw, said movable jaw having an aperture therethrough about at its midlength receiving said stud, a pivoting pin or pintle eecting pivotal connection between said movable jaw and said stud, a lever ulcrumed in said handle, a {ieXible connection between said movable jaw and said lever, said flexible connection having one end secured to said movable or pivoted jaw inwardly of the pivotal ,point of the jaw, and a spring centrally connected to the pivot of the movable jaw, said spring delivering its pressure upon the movable jaw to initially retain the jaws closed.

In testimony whereof, l aiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. LABRAMORE. Witnesses C. O. MnLvIN, W. J. STiivnNsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

